Setting

Since the story happens in many places over Middle-earth the author gives a deep description only in places where important things to the plot happen but in other places he gives a more general description. Most places make the reader have a picture in his brain of them; the author uses the appropriate words and gives good descriptions.

It takes the story about a year to occur. It starts at the spring and ends in about the same time the year after. Parts of the story take place in every time of the day (and night). The mood is of fantasy world, where everything (like magic and huge treasures) can appear and happen.

Major Characters

Summary

They found themselves in a large cavern in the mountain. The Goblin scowled at them. Then Thorin stepped forward and explained to him that they did not mean to trespass. Gandolf appeared at the door and freed the group from the goblins. The group ran ahead and Bilbo was lost behind them. Bilbo found an underwater lake and a ring on an island in the lake. He found out that the ring made him invisible. In the lake also lived a creature named Gollum. Gollum was a creature that ate other people. Gollum approached Bilbo and Bilbo told him he desired to find a way out. They then played a riddle game and if Bilbo won, he lived and if he lost, he would die. Bilbo won the riddle game but Gollum still wanted to eat him, But then Bilbo accidentally slipped the ring on his finger and became invisible, so he escaped.

He met with the group again and walked with them for a few days. Gandolf left the group a few days later. The ring Bilbo had helped the group through two more circumstances along the journey. The group made it to the base of Lonely Mountain. They then climbed the mountain and found a secret entrance to the inside, where Smaug was. Thorin and the Dwarfs stayed outside. Bilbo went down a hallway and came upon Smaug. He then slipped on the ring he had found earlier and became invisible. Smaug awoke when Bilbo tried to steal a gold cup. Smaug knew that the Hobbit was there because he heard him. Smaug told Bilbo that nothing could pierce his scales. But when Bilbo searched Smaug's body he found a scale was missing in one spot. So Bilbo grabbed the cup and ran out of the mountain. Smaug followed Bilbo and started burning the city. Meanwhile, Bilbo had told a bird to find a hunter named Bard the Hunter and to tell him that. Smaug had a weak spot below the neck. Bard the Hunter came and saw the spot and plunged an arrow into Smaug, he fell down and died. Bilbo's return to Bag-End on the very day his home and all its contents were to be sold at public auction (since no one had seen him for over a year)

Character Development

Each character has a physical description. The length and content of the description increase as the character importance to the plot increases (e.g., the hobbit has very long descriptions in the story (especially in the introduction) and the Elvenking has fewer descriptions, as he isn’t as important.

The more important characters get an emotional description too, but it is not well seen, but it can be extracted from the text by analyzing it. The example I gave before about Bilbo not rushing into things is a good example for this too.

The central figure is the hobbit, Bilbo. He is the one that makes many things occur by his mistakes and luck. The author gives long descriptions of him and refers to him a lot, he also made him save his companions’ life and without him the plot would not have been the same.

The supporting cast is divided into the more important characters (such as the dwarves and Gandalf) into less important and less described ones (such as the elf guards that caught the party in the woods).

It is hard to believe that the characters can exist in reality since they cannot, and they are not supposed to since it is a fantasy book, but his descriptions are very vivid.

Plot Development

In the beginning there is an introduction where the author tells a bit about what is a hobbit and the hobbit’s (Bilbo) family. It is not very complicated and the author makes it easy to understand. This introduction gives the general background, which makes the story easier to understand, for the plot and its development.

The plot development in the middle is not complicated and easy to follow. It can even be summarized in a few sentences.

The ending is expected since the author gives hints about it. As in the introduction when he says that the hobbit would gain something, this means that he will not die. Then, the reader is not kept in suspense and does not expect to see what happens at the end.

The last climax (or what is supposed to be the climax) takes a long time to occur (the last fight—good (men, elves, dwarves & eagles) vs. evil (wargs & goblins)) and this reduces its effectiveness.

After the climax there is the long return home. It is quite boring since there is nothing to expect to and the reader knows that the hobbit would get home safely. In my opinion it should have been shorter.